I wrote this in the heat of the moment on September 11, 2001 as I watched the twin towers burn and crumble to the ground on my TV screen. It’s worth sharing again. The only thing I would add is that we must protect America from both foreign and domestic threats.
Terrorists are parasites who thrive on the fear they create.
But we do not fear these men; for that is what they are. They have no extra-human powers. They breathe as we do. They bleed as we do. They die as we do.
We must not be intimidated by acts, no matter how violent, that we might be turned from the path that we know in our hearts to be right. We cannot allow our enemies to dictate our choice of friends and allies. We must realize that our enemies have taken up arms against us not merely because of their hatred toward those smaller nations with whom we have allied ourselves, but because they are fundamentally opposed to, and feel threatened by, our entire way of life.
Balanced between the twin towers of patriotism and jingoism is the thin veneer of common sense, which even the simplest animals comprehend. Those who are attacked must attack in kind, lest they be viewed as perpetual prey.
There are no civilians in war. Innocent people will die. Innocent people have died. The world, nation by nation, individual by individual, must stand declared to be our allies or, if not, then our enemies. And let them be judged not only by their present declarations, but by their past words and deeds or silence and inaction. There can be no question of neutrality when faced with the fate of civilization itself.
And make no mistake, that is what is at stake. We face nothing less than a battle between the forces of civilization and the forces of anarchy.
Our enemies are not cowards; they are, in fact, devoid of fear. They are not ignorant; they are, in fact, deviously shrewd and calculating. But while they may rationalize their actions, they themselves are not rational.
They are religious zealots, who believe their actions are divinely inspired, who believe their faith and customs and beliefs are the only valid ones, and who believe death in pursuit of their goal guarantees them an eternal afterlife.
Therefore, they cannot be reasoned with, for reason requires rationality. They cannot be negotiated with, for negotiation requires compromise and fanaticism knows no compromise. They cannot co-exist, for their fanaticism demands hegemony. They can only be annihilated, for the only alternative is our own eventual annihilation at their hands.
Attack on America
September 11, 2001
Terrorists are parasites who thrive on the fear they create.
But we do not fear these men; for that is what they are. They have no extra-human powers. They breathe as we do. They bleed as we do. They die as we do.
We must not be intimidated by acts, no matter how violent, that we might be turned from the path that we know in our hearts to be right. We cannot allow our enemies to dictate our choice of friends and allies. We must realize that our enemies have taken up arms against us not merely because of their hatred toward those smaller nations with whom we have allied ourselves, but because they are fundamentally opposed to, and feel threatened by, our entire way of life.
Balanced between the twin towers of patriotism and jingoism is the thin veneer of common sense, which even the simplest animals comprehend. Those who are attacked must attack in kind, lest they be viewed as perpetual prey.
There are no civilians in war. Innocent people will die. Innocent people have died. The world, nation by nation, individual by individual, must stand declared to be our allies or, if not, then our enemies. And let them be judged not only by their present declarations, but by their past words and deeds or silence and inaction. There can be no question of neutrality when faced with the fate of civilization itself.
And make no mistake, that is what is at stake. We face nothing less than a battle between the forces of civilization and the forces of anarchy.
Our enemies are not cowards; they are, in fact, devoid of fear. They are not ignorant; they are, in fact, deviously shrewd and calculating. But while they may rationalize their actions, they themselves are not rational.
They are religious zealots, who believe their actions are divinely inspired, who believe their faith and customs and beliefs are the only valid ones, and who believe death in pursuit of their goal guarantees them an eternal afterlife.
Therefore, they cannot be reasoned with, for reason requires rationality. They cannot be negotiated with, for negotiation requires compromise and fanaticism knows no compromise. They cannot co-exist, for their fanaticism demands hegemony. They can only be annihilated, for the only alternative is our own eventual annihilation at their hands.
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